To Fall and Rise Again
by DeceasedAcc
Summary: Devin Mistwraith loved Necromancy. She loved the Death School, but when it was ripped from Ravenwood, her world fell apart. She shrunk away, refused to study and practice magic. However, when a familiar teacher starts wreaking havoc across the Sprial, she is forced to fight. (Main characters picked, but side OCs are still welcome to be submitted!)
1. Prologue

**What's going on guys! Mammering here for my first story! Right off the bat, this is going to be a SYOC story. I've always loved participating in them and I've always wanted to do them. Here's my chance to do that. :)**

 **All of the SYOC information will be at the bottom of this prologue. Now, enough rambling. Let's get on to the story!**

* * *

 ** _Prologue_**

 _"One cannot Rise without first needing to Fall."_

Devin Mistwraith dreamed of earthquakes. They were vivid ones, too. She could hear the rumble in the distance as it neared, felt the violent shaking as it struck, and bore witness to shattered glass and crumbling towers as streets she called home became enveloped in destruction. She knew though it was only a dream. She knew it was only metaphorical.

Her life was falling apart, and it had happened in a matter of three minutes.

Duncan Grimwater sat dutifully at her bedside, an uncharacteristic look of fear etched on his face as he gazed down on his friend and classmate. He held her hand in his, a thumb gently grazing across calloused knuckles. He had witnessed what had happened, but he did not know who did it.

He did not know who took his school away. Who took _their_ school away.

He was in shock, and no man in shock could ever understand what was happening.

Slowly, Devin came to, and her pale pink eyes fluttered open. She breathed a moment, just breathed, before she turned her head to Duncan and ignoring the pain that came with movement, uttering three simple words: "I should've known."

Duncan slowly shook his head, unbelieving the student, no matter how promising she was, could have ever predicted that the Death school would be ripped from the world. "There was no way you could have predicted it, Dev."

"I could've..."

He brushed a few stray locks of mint green hair from her forehead. "Dev..."

"I knew Sylvia was going to die." The first tear she had shed in ten years streamed gently down her tan cheek. "And Malistaire knew it too."

She feel back into unconciousness, her own world of metaphorical earthquakes, storms, and pain.

Duncan didn't stray from her side, and the terrible gut feeling that everything was going to change settled at the pit of his stomach.

How could it when everything was slowly breaking down around them?

* * *

 **Short, but aren't all Prologues? The next chapters will be much longer, at least 2'000 words.**

 **Anyways, onto the SYOC info.**

 **Name:**

 **Age:** (13-18)

 **Gender** :

 **School:**

 **Secondary School (optional):** (this is the second school they would major in)

 **Level :** (15-45) (Note: The younger the student, the lower the level. Age 13 would be around level 15, while 18 would be in the forties range depending on how well they do in school.)

 **Homeworld:**

 **Looks :** (be as descriptive as possible)

 **Pets/Mounts? (Optional):**

 **Personality:**

 **Weaknesses/Fears:**

 **Good/Evil :** (Note: Evil characters will not be main characters.)

 **Backstory:**

 **Association to Devin:** (Basically to help me introduce your character. Ex: Friend, Rival, Aquaintance, just meeting for the first time, childhood friend she hasn't seen in forever, friend of a friend (I.e. Friend if Duncan's), things like that.)

Other: (I.e. Not having permission to kill character off, exclusion of romance, romantic interests, etc.)

 **I will be looking for a total of five main characters to accompany Devin on her journey, varying in school and gender (so no all-girls Necromancers team). The most interesting ones will take the cake, and the rest I will include as minor characters.**

 **Have fun! I'm looking forward to seeing what amazing characters you guys have in store. And now, time for me to go to bed. Mammering out!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Chasm

_**AN: Chapter one is officially here! To keep things short here, so far I have officially accepted one character, and that is RidersofRohan's Molly Hawkflame, who makes an appearance in this chapter. Everyone else is still under serious consideration, so don't worry if you aren't picked yet. I just found Molly perfect for a filler scene in this chapter.**_

 ** _I hope you enjoy the chapter!_**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **The Chasm**

"I'm sorry, professor Drake, but I am _not_ expelling Devin."

"And why not? She refuses to pursue magic any longer! The other Necromancy students at least have the sense to continue their studies on their own. Miss Mistwraith is hardly worth -"

"Miss Mistwraith is just taking a bit longer to adjust. You must understand, Cyrus, this is all very difficult for her. Malistaire was her idol after all."

"And he was my brother! You don't see me moping around now do you? She hardly has a legitimate excuse!"

This was the fifth time in three weeks Devin Mistwraith had been called to Ambrose's house-turned-office to discuss possible expulsion. Probably the tenth time Cyrus himself complained of her apparent laziness. She sat in the side room, watching the green and blue toned lights of Gamma's Spiral model, practically mesmerized by the slow turning of the star-like specs. They calmed her, eased her mind, even if she was seemingly indifferent about the possibility of getting expelled from the most prestigious school in the Spiral.

 _The walls are made of stone_ , she thought, but not even they could block out the raised voices of the Headmaster and the increasingly agitated Myth professor, Cyrus Drake. Devin heard every word they said, and frankly, she couldn't care less at the moment.

Their back-and-forth argument continued for several minutes more before there was the slam of one door and the opening of another. Merle Ambrose peered into the side room with an apologetic smile on his bearded face. Even he seemed to realize no walls could bar the harshness of the likely fuming Myth professor. "You can come in now."

Devin nodded and slowly stood up, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her black robes as she walked into his office. "He manage to sway you this time?"

"He did have some convincing arguments…"

Devin sighed, and at being signed to take a seat she slumped down in a chair that sat in front of Ambrose's cluttered desk. The Headmaster started to shuffle through his renowned mess of papers, looking for one application or another, or several, as it were.

"You can do it ya know, expel me," Devin said idly, trying to distract him from finding whatever it was he was looking for.

"No, I'm not giving up on you, Miss Mistwraith. These are challenging times, and I for one have full faith that you will make a full recovery from this...lack of motivation." When he found the applications he was looking for, he extended them to Devin, which she scowled at. She looked them over very briefly before tossing them back on the desk and crossing her arms.

"I told you, Ambrose, I'm not switching my school."

"I'm not asking you to switch your main subject of study, Devin," Ambrose sighed heavily, "but I do ask that you please consider taking on a secondary major. It could prove beneficial. Even your friend, Duncan Grimwater, has agreed to take on another class."

"And how well _is_ Duncan doin' in said class?" There was no response to that. Devin rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'm not giving up Necromancy, and I'm _not_ taking on a secondary."

She started to walk out, despite the ensuing protest of the Headmaster. She opened the door, but before exiting she continued with, "It's just like you said, Headmaster, I'm just taking my time."

With that, she left and closed the door behind her. Ambrose sighed heavily for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He stroked his beard in thought, and at this his loyal friend, Gamma, flew over and perched himself on his shoulder. "Having a change of thought?" the snowy owl asked, a light 'hoo' to his question. Ambrose scratched his pet on the back of his head and said nothing for several moments.

"I'll give her one more chance," he managed eventually. Despite being fond of the student, he could not ignore it when Cyrus spoke true of her lack of progress and care. "If she does not have a change of heart by the end of the week, I will have no choice but to go through with Cyrus's wishes."

* * *

The gaping chasm that was once the Death School had somehow become Devin's favorite spot.

She sat dangerously close to the edge, feet hanging over as she stared down into what was quite literally nothingness. A few stray bits of rubble and earth hovered lazily around, a sore reminder that at one point, the chasm was home to one of the seven schools of magic, one that stood on solid rock.

She felt someone sit beside her, and she didn't need to look to know who it was.

"I know Necromancers are supposed to be depressing," Duncan said, looking up at the sky instead of the massive and depressing hole in front of them, "but you're overplaying the part a bit here, Devin."

Devin didn't respond, not even with sarcasm. The small smile that had formed on Duncan's lips slipped, immediately realizing something must have been wrong. "Did...Ambrose cave in this time?"

Thankfully, Devin shook her head. "No, but it's only a matter of time," she said with a sigh. "Cyrus don't quit until he gets what he wants."

"I don't understand why you won't take a secondary at least. Almost everyone does, at least to a certain extent. Helps out a bit, too." Devin rolled her eyes. Of all the things she found annoying about her only friend, it was that he was adamant about keeping her in school. Who else would he sulk to?

"It's not that it doesn't help," Devin looked at him and frowned, pulling her knees up to her chest. "It's just the...idea of it. I'd feel like I'm betraying...well, something."

"Betraying?" Duncan frowned at her. "Betraying Malistaire? Even he studied Myth and Life alongside his brother. It's how he met Sylvia."

"No, not Malistaire," Devin shook her head before deciding to scoot back from the edge, realizing for a moment how easily they could fall off. "It just doesn't feel right, ya know?"

Duncan was about to ask another question when he was suddenly interrupted by the roar of a flame and a door getting crashed down. Immediately, the two Necromancer's sprang to their feet, with Duncan's staff up and pointed in a defensive position and magic sparking at Devin's fingertips. A wild sunbird squawked as it flew out of the Fire School, its red eyes flaring and enraged. Flames spouted out of its sharp beak, catching the grass around it on fire, thankfully missing Bartleby's roots. Several students and Falmea rushed out of the classroom, but already the situation was being handled.

Duncan put out the flames with a quick though powerful gust of Necromatic energy before together, he and Devin trapped the bird in a corner. There as a small white ball of energy which formed in Devin's hand, one that quickly formed into a ghostly white blade. A Deathblade to be precise. In one fluid motion, she surged forward and pierced the rogue Sunbird in the chest, and immediately, the being of Fire snapped away, the spell forcibly cancelled out. The whole incident lasted less than a minute.

Falmea nodded a brief thanks to the Necromancers before turning to a brown-haired, purple-clothed wizard whom Devin could only think was responsible for the bird-gone-wild. "Miss Hawkflame, we went over what to do if you lose a control of a spell. Why did you not implement those teachings just now?"

"I-I don't know...I'm sorry, Mistress Falmea," the girl bowed her head, embarrassed. Falmea sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before turning to the rest of the class.

"Until the room is picked up, we shall have our class in Firecat Alley. We meet there tomorrow." Just as she said that, the chime of a bell rang, and the students dispersed as more flooded out of the other school houses.

Duncan chuckled a bit. "Here I thought Diviners were bad…" he commented. Devin was inclined to agree. It seemed both Storm and Fire schools had some poor students in them.

The Hawkflame girl looked awkwardly around, and realizing the two Death students hadn't left yet, she approached them. She felt it was only right to thank them. "Thanks for getting that bird," she said with a small bow of gratitude. "I'm not the best Pyromancer..."

"Obviously," Duncan dead-panned, leaning against his staff and rolling his eyes.

"Just be careful next time," Devin, at least, was a bit more friendly, but not by much. In fact she was annoyed this girl was even talking to them. "If you don't need anything else," she waved a hand as though shooing a bug away, "then you should, I don't know, get going."

Hawkflame huffed a bit before turning and walking away, taking the long way around to the Life school. Devin watched her go, and when she was out of sight she asked, "Know who she is?"

Duncan nodded. He didn't have a lot of friends, but he knew the names and faces of others. "Molly Hawkflame. She's a Magus Pyromancer. Or at least trying to be."

" _Magus?"_ Devinlaughed in disbelief. "She can't even control a dang bird!"

Duncan grinned. "You aren't the only one the Headmaster is babying. Anyways, I gotta get to class."

"Good luck, Cyrus is in a bad mood."

"When isn't he?" Duncan chuckled as he went and picked his pack up. Devin watched him and smirked a bit, crossing her arms.

"Mind if I kick it at your house for a bit? I've done my good deed for the day."

Duncan nodded, asking if she had a key. When she nodded Duncan pulled his hood over his head and gave her a lazy wave goodbye before jumping over along Bartleby's roots. Devin lingered for a while longer by the chasm before eventually, she teleported herself to the Mark she always left at her best friend's house.

She slumped down on her favorite old red couch, laying down and staring at the wooden ceiling above her. When she eventually closed her eyes and drifted off, she dreamed of the chasm, of what once stood there. She dreamed of her pride in her school.

It was a normal dream, one she had fairly often since the incident. But then, things changed.

She dreamed of a madman coming home and destroying as much as he could.

* * *

 ** _Not as emotionally charged as the prologue, but hopefully still enjoyable. The next chapter things will pick up. This was more of introducing who Devin is._**

 ** _Character submissions are still open! The only reason I've picked one instead of three so far is because I want everyone to have a chance to submit one. By next week, I will have picked my five._**


	3. Chapter 2: Nightmare

**AN:** **Chapter 2 is here! I have officially picked my big five main characters, BUT that doesn't mean you still can't submit. If you want a character in this story and are completely fine with them being side characters, then send em' in! (Note: With side characters, there are no age or rank restrictions, so go nuts!)**

 **Enough of that now. My five will be listed down at the bottom of the chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:**

 **Nightmare**

Devin found herself standing in a silent darkness, one with no walls and an invisible floor. Not a thing stirred within. There was not a sound, not a sight, not a feeling in the world. It simply held an ambiance of depression and vengeance, something so deep not even the purest tongue and heart in the world could save it.

The Necromancer herself was not afraid of the dark, but she feared what lingered beyond. She feared the despondent feeling that dominated the atmosphere. What could be the cause if it? Whose emotions possibly could have invaded her mind? Was it, perhaps, her own?

Devin's breath became rather labored. The coral color of her eyes shone like a bright beacon, but the light of them could not penetrate the emptiness around her. It was strange. Such dreams never came upon her.

Suddenly, there was a scream. A caterwaul of pain.

Devin tried to spark a spell, but her feet were glued to the nonexistent floor, and her hands stapled to her sides. The scream echoed again, this time louder. Her whole body grew tense as she sensed the presence of someone - or something - passing by her. It went to the right, the front, the left, and behind her.

The dread she felt was unbearable.

When the figure showed and she saw the stark white face of her old professor, standing in front of a burning tower, it was her that screamed.

* * *

"Devin? Hey, wake up!"

A strong hand and a concerned voice snapped her away from her dream. Devin gasped and shot up, muscles tense and sweat glistening like water on her tanned skin. Duncan kneeled in front of her, pale gray eyes concerned, and he was dressed in nothing but his sweatpants.

Apparently, her nap was much longer than she anticipated. It was already nighttime, Duncan having already gone to bed when he heard light murmurs and whimpers from his friend.

Devin rubbed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to both think on the dream and chase it away. Duncan, who knew she had nightmares on occasion, took her hand worriedly in his own and asked, "You alright?"

The girl wordlessly nodded, sitting up slowly and hugging her stomach as a wave of nausea hit her. She said nothing just yet, and knowing she needed some time to process what she saw Duncan stood and went to prepare some tea. He sparked a fire in the fireplace and hung a kettle of water over it. It was the routine at this point. Even when she was younger and spent the night at his family's home she would need a cup of hot tea after experiencing a nightmare.

When the water was nice and hot, he poured it in a cup that had a tea bag of peppermint and lemongrass already inside. He gently blew on it before sitting beside his friend and handing her the cup.

Devin stared at the swirling clouds of steam before finally taking a few small sips of it. She seemed to relax quite a bit, the smell and warmth welcoming as the hot liquid streamed down her throat. Sighing she leaned back against the couch. "Duncan...do you ever have dreams that feel so real and so possible they might actually happen?"

"Can't say that I have," Duncan confessed, looking at her in both curiosity and worry. He had vivid dreams before, but nothing that made him believe it was, or could be, real. Devin frowned and nodded slowly, sipping more at her tea before continuing.

"I saw Malistaire standing in front of a burning tower...before that, there was a presence I couldn't see and a scream of a...a girl, I think. A young one. And darkness. A lot of darkness…"

Duncan frowned a bit, turning his gaze away from her and looking to the fire, hands clasped in front of him. When he could think of nothing that might explain what it was besides a very bad nightmare, he sighed and rested a hand on her knee, giving it a squeeze. "It probably means nothing, Dev...you miss him, and with how bad everyone thinks of him now, it all might just be getting to you."

Devin sighed and nodded, pressing the rim of her mug to her lips and partially closing her eyes. "I hope it's that simple."

Duncan felt helpless. Looking at her, he knew she was disturbed, even more so than with the past nightmares . He left to his bedroom a moment and came back with one of his nighttime shirts and some shorts. He laid them on the arm of the couch. "You're welcome to stay the night, Dev. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Take the guest bedroom. I have afternoon classes tomorrow so I'll make breakfast for us. How's that sound?"

Devin looked at her best friend and forced a smile. "Great. Thanks, Duncan."

Duncan smiled and nodded, ruffling her short poof of a faux hawk before starting back to his own room. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up, 'kay?"

When he got his second nod of confirmation, he went into his room and for just-in-case reasons left his door cracked open. Devin remained by the fire for a while longer, about an hour to be precise, just drinking her tea and relaxing as best she could. When the tea was gone, she went to the aforementioned guest room, changed into the black-colored clothes of Duncan's - which were oversized but very comfortable - and fell onto the old twin bed.

It took a while for her to fall asleep, but thankfully when she did, it was a dreamless slumber.

* * *

The smell of bacon, naturally, woke her up the following morning, the savory scent of the meat filling her nostrils. She stretched in the bed and yawned before slowly opening her eyes. The window was curtainless, so the rising sun shone through without any restriction, blinding her a moment, and groaning she shielded her eyes with an arm.

When her eyes adjusted to the sudden light, she sat up and for the first time looked around the room, realizing she had never stayed in Duncan's house before. The family house, certainly, and even his dorm on a few occasions, but never his own home.

The room itself was small, made more for an office than a bedroom really, and was overall bare of decoratives. There was an old, worn down dresser that had definitely seen better days, a desk with a chair that hardly looked stable, and the bed which she sat on. The only thing to really give the room a bit of character was a death banner that hung on the door. Devin rolled her eyes. She should've expected her friend to be lazy with decorating.

When she went out into the living room, it had a few more things to look at. A vase with a nightshade in it, some old pictures, and furniture. Overall, it was still very bland.

Duncan looked over and seeing his friend with the bed head and oversized PJs, he waved a lazy good morning to her as he prepared two plates of the grub he'd made. Bacon, sausage, eggs, and biscuits. Nothing grand, but Devin found herself appreciating it nonetheless, especially considering who made it. Duncan actually making food was kind of a funny thought.

"Did Miss Wizard City sleep alright?" Duncan asked as he handed her a plate. Devin rolled her eyes, pulling a tall bar stool to the counter and deciding to eat there instead of the table.

"I don't see Miss Wizard City here," Devin commented idly, taking a bite of the crispy bacon.

Duncan chuckled, sitting across from his friend and picking at his eggs. "I don't either. I see a green-haired monster wearing my clothes and looking like she tumbled down a mountain."

"Ouch," Devin tried to pretend she was hurt, but she just ended up smiling. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend."

"All the attractive ones are Storm or Fire, and those schools are, well, dumb."

"Charming," Devin chuckled and shook her head, setting her fork down to rub her face a bit as another yawn took her. "To answer your question though, I slept okay...tired as a gobbler who just had seventy pounds of turkey though. What time did I wake last night?"

"About midnight," Duncan's smile softened into a sympathetic grin. "I imagine you didn't go to sleep right away either. Want some coffee?"

"No, thanks. You already ruined breakfast. Don't want you ruining my favorite drink too." In response to that, Duncan threw a bit of bacon at her, at which both of them started to laugh. Their playful banter and friendly conversation went on throughout breakfast. It was how they were, and how Duncan knew she needed to be treated. Despite her laughter and smile, he knew she hadn't forgotten the nightmare, and knew it was in the best interest for both of them to forget it.

When the meal was just about done, there was a knock at the door. Duncan wiped his mouth and not caring he was shirtless went to see who it was. There was no one, though there was the Ravenwood Bulletin at his feet. He sighed and with a slight shrug decided to take it in for once. He sat back down at the counter and looked at the main heading, nibbling on his last piece of bacon.

"I guess orientation is this weekend," he commented idly. That surprised Devin, and she looked up with an eyebrow quirked and a disbelieving frown in her face.

"So soon? Thought they'd have held it off until a new death professor came along. Don't get me wrong, Malorn's doing great with the younger class, but still. He's no professor."

"I guess Ambrose didn't want to make it seem like Ravenwood was failing," Duncan responded with a shrug as he read on. Seeing nothing else of note he threw the paper out and collected their plates. "You gonna go to it, see what the fresh meat has to offer?"

"Only if you come along with me," Devin said as she followed him into the kitchen. She grabbed a towel as though to say she was going to dry the dishes no matter what he said. Duncan smirked and nodded.

"Deal."

The two friends fell silent as they cleaned up the dishes, splashing each other with water on occasion and laughing like they were newlyweds who found joy in absolutely everything. They were both fine with that. After last night and the past weeks of madness, they needed a good laugh.

They just hoped that now, things would start getting back to normal.

* * *

The weekend of orientation came by quicker than Devin thought it would.

Two full days of ten year olds running around trying to find the coolest schools and making fun of each other.

Devin didn't know why she agreed to go to it.

She sighed a bit, examining herself in the mirror. She was no representative, but she wanted to show off her school to the best of her ability. Maybe talk to a few kids. Sure, she might be getting expelled the following week, but she wanted to ensure Death didn't lose its respectability.

The tunic she wore was black, with a belt wrapped loosely around the waist. The stitching along the rims was silver in color, and the pants she wore were made of a light cloth and dyed in a matching color scheme. Her boots were leather and, of course, black, with silver armored toes. The cape she wore matched the dark scheme and was attached to her tunic by a silver skull.

It wasn't the most flattering apparel, but she couldn't deny she looked impressive. Even her hair was brushed into a neat, poofy quiff. Content, she walked out of her dorm and into Ravenwood, where she saw Duncan waiting for her by the tunnel leading to the Commons. Upon seeing her, his lips quirked into a grin.

"It's just orientation, not a date," he joked teasingly. Devin jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow.

"Like you can even get one," she teased back before starting to walk on. "Nah, just wanted to show the kids what a real Necro looks like. I bet ten golden coins Malorn is dressed to impress the girls."

"Not making that bet 'cause I know you'll win that one," Duncan replied with a chuckle. He was wearing an outfit similar to her own by coincidence, but Devin didn't care as they walked through the bustling commons and into the central area for orientation: Golem Court.

Surrounding the tower was an ocean of brightly-colored students, most wearing the official novice uniform, walking around and talking and laughing. It was enough to make Devin want to scowl.

Duncan looked around a moment, finding a few darker-clothed kids gathered around Vergil Darkstar. For once he had removed the skeletal mask, perhaps at the bidding of Ambrose to not scare away the students, and was dressed in his normal, intimidating attire. Devin herself had no fondness for the black-haired Necromancer - he seemed to underestimate her despite never having seen her skill - but she didn't argue as Duncan started to lead the way over.

However, before they could even reach the Necromancer group, there was a sudden shaking of the earth below them, so vigorous that Devin nearly lost her balance. A chill ran down her spine, and dark clouds suddenly shrouded the initially clear skies above.

She and Duncan exchanged a glance. The newcomers were rushing around, trying to find friends and family, most dazed or thrown into a panic.

White lightning struck the surface of the ground, and from the crags of broken stone and earth came forth beings of the undead.

* * *

 _ **My complete five mains are as follows:**_

 **Molly Hawkflame (RidersofRohan)**

 **Vergil Darkstar (Stigma13)**

 **Bradley Angleblossom (Mystical Mosaic)**

 **Chris Roseblood (Nefertam)**

 **Marissa Lifeblood (BlueJPanda)**

 _ **To everyone else, don't worry! I intend to put your characters to good use in this story, hopefully as more than a brief cameo. Hope you enjoyed! Drop a review if you did, and I'll see you all next chapter.**_


	4. Chapter 3: Attack on the Court

_**AN: Pardon the delay on the update. I was having some mental health problems the past couple of weeks, but I'm okay now. :) Here's the long-awaited third chapter! I admit it's not the best I could of done, but I hope you still enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

 **Attack on the Court**

Vergil Darkstar only had a second to think.

Vampires fluttered about the court and ghouls lumbered across the yard, all aimed to attack the younger students and making the place reek of decayed skin. Vergil stood in a shocked silence before realizing the situation and throwing a protective, translucent barrier around the new, unprepared students. When he was certain those who were more-or-less under his care were protected, he charged into the fray.

The Master Necromancer drew his red-stained blade, and with one hand drew a card from his deck and cast Lightning Bats. The three-fold beings of Storm let out a unified, ear-splitting screech before flying and waging battle where the enemy seemed most affluent. He slashed and struck each undead being that crossed him, the white sparks that signified dispelling flying around him in a wild, shimmering storm.

Devin and Duncan stood close together, fighting off those that came near with weak spells, which somehow took care of the monsters that charged at them. Duncan raised a brow.

"These spells aren't very powerful," he observed, smashing his staff against an incoming vampire and effectively shattering the spell. Devin nodded her head.

"It's a distraction. No one's dumb enough to attack Ravenwood with this lame excuse of spell-use."

The green-haired girl looked around a moment, and all around wizards were fighting the creatures and making the same observations as they did. Vergil was displaying his power, and the Hawkflame girl was putting her Life magic to use by healing some of the students that were injured alongside one of the popular boys - his named slipped her mind however.

Duncan nudged her and pointed in one direction. Ambrose was dealing with the monsters easily enough, but Devin felt inclined to help the man as he seemed to be getting most of the heat. She charged towards him, and with a few magically-infused punches and staff-strikes, the monsters around them were dissipated.

The Headmaster turned and pointed to a Sorcery student, who seemed befuddled by the sudden attack. "Mister Roseblood! Go and retrieve Cyrus! Or any of the professors! We need a massive field attack!"

The student in question nodded and burst off towards Ravenwood. Ambrose turned to Devin and sighed heavily. "How did this happen?"

"I'm not sure, sir," she replied, sending a spray of necromantic energy around her to ward off any undead coming their way. "I just came when this happened."

Ambrose grumbled a bit as he looked around. Marissa Lifeblood, a Life student who preferred offense in a fight, was doing well in defending the upcoming Life students, keeping them behind her as she sent imps around to take care of the weak beasts. He seemed to be making some mental notes, but Devin didn't even begin to understand why.

Suddenly, there was another crack of lightning, which turned everyone's attention to the tower. A shadow passed by the window, and Ambrose knew the assailant must be there. Ambrose immediately started to head there. "Miss Mistwraith, come! I may need your help."

Devin followed after the Headmaster. Duncan tried to follow as well, but he was suddenly barred by a line of ghouls. When that line was defeated, Devin and Ambrose were already inside.

The long climb up to the top of the tower was relatively uneventful, with the golems shut down and the action seemingly contained to the outside. Ambrose found this odd and stopped a moment to examine what was happening outside.

The Sorcerer, Chris Roseblood, had returned with the professors. Cyrus Drake cast a powerful and carefully organized earthquake, destroying all of the ghouls but leaving the students unharmed. Professor Greyrose then lifted Halston Balestrom up into the air so his Tempest could take care of the airborne creatures of Death.

Ambrose breathed easily. "I have good professors," he said simply and rather proudly before turning to Devin. "The students are safe, but we must hurry and catch the culprit before anything else disastrous happens."

"Then what are we talking for?" Devin snapped, and without waiting for a response she stormed up the next couple flight of stairs, a Deathblade forming in her hand as she realized whoever did this must be quite powerful. Mass spellcasting, even with weaker spells, were often very difficult, and only a true master of the magical arts could do such a thing successfully, and for as long as this attack was.

When the top floor was reached, The person inside though was the last person she expected, the one she looked up to for so long.

Ambrose appeared behind her and snarled. "Malistaire!"

Malistaire looked at Devin only a moment before looking at Ambrose and scowling. "Ambrose…"

"You are no longer welcome here! Why have you returned?"

"I came to complete some unfinished business," the ex-professor said rather simply before turning to Devin. The two locked gazes and stared at each other in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "If it isn't my most promising student...become Ambrose's new favorite have you?"

Devin couldn't bring herself to say anything, or even blink for that matter. She just stared at him in shock and hurt, unbelieving he could have done this. He had once loved the school. Why attack it? Noting her expression, the older necromancer sighed and shook his head. Ambrose spoke once again.

"Malistaire, I command you to leave at once!"

"You have no authority over me, old man! Not anymore!" Suddenly, from two of the side windows, Draconians crashed inside, landing on either side of Malistaire. The former professor had one command that made Devin's blood run cold: "Kill them."

Ambrose burst forward, with full intentions of striking Malistaire down right there, but one of the Draconian's blocked him off. Malistaire looked once more to Devin before disappearing in a dark cloud of skull-shaped shadows.

Now that her distraction was gone, Devin finally snapped back to reality, just in time to be thrown across the room. She crashed hard into the wall and into the floor, and she cursed loudly. _Focus, Mistwraith!_ She could practically hear Malistaire tell her that.

As the Draconian slammed his sword down, she rolled out of the way and kicked his feet from under him. Quickly she cast a vampire and sent the spell flying towards the dragon humanoid. It bit harshly into the being's arm before disintegrating, causing the draconian to caterwaul. He surged forward, and a firecat pounced at her, but quickly she jumped back from the attack.

She drew a dagger she always kept in a slot in her boot, going into melee mode. The two, warriors in their own right, clashed together. Where Devin lacked in general power - she was short after all, standing in at a mere five foot - she made up for in speed. She quickly overwhelmed the Draconian with quick attacks and dodges, and with one more vampire, the humanoid was lying dead on the ground.

Devin was not left without a few scrapes. Her back was bruised from her initial crash into the wall, and her nice clothes were effectively torn up. She sighed and looked around for Ambrose. He had long since taken care of the second Draconian and had simply been watching her, which made her think that for some reason this was all just an elaborate assessment.

He nodded his head to her. "Good work, young wizard. I can see why Malistaire thought so highly of you."

Devin said nothing. In fact, the compliment almost made her furious. Realizing how she was feeling, Ambrose's expression softened. "Go get some rest, Devin. I shall call you to discuss this matter when things have calmed down."

Devin said nothing in response. Instead of porting away, she walked out to meet Duncan. Upon seeing her, his eyes widened, and he rushed over. "Dev! You alright?"

Devin said nothing. Tears started to come into her eyes, and terrified he took her hand and ported her away to his house. When there, he gently took her by the shoulders. "Hey, hey...you're okay. What's up?"

Devin shook her head slowly, and the tears in her eyes fell on her cheeks. Internally panicking, he sat her down on the couch and brought an arm around her waist, keeping her close to his side. The normally stoic girl gratefully leaned against him, burying her face in his neck. This was only the second time since childhood that he had seen her cry. He took his hands in her and pressed his cheek against her head, simply murmuring, "you're okay" over and over again.

When she had finally calmed down enough to speak, she told him. "It was Malistaire…"

Duncan looked down at her and blinked in confusion. "What?"

"It was Malistaire who attacked us…"

"What? That's impossible!"

Devin shook her head pitifully. "He was there...with Draconians." She relayed his words and her experience to him, and by the end of the short story his grip on her hand tightened considerably. He said nothing as no words needed to be said. The two friends sat there in silence, keeping each other close as their minds slowly processed what the hell happened.

* * *

Two days passed when news of what was to be considered Malistaire's absolute betrayal was announced to all of Wizard City, and consequently, the rest of the Spiral. Devin had stayed in Duncan's house during the meeting and the nights previous. On the third day since the incident, Devin and several others were called to Ambrose's office, one she found herself forced to go to.

The office was, for once, relatively clean, but it was crowded with Wizards, or at least felt crowded. Standing towards the back, Devin examined who was there, trying to deduce what schools. She found that, in total, there were two necromancers - including herself - and two theurgists; one sorcerer, one pyromancer. Some she knew the names of, but others barely recognizable.

Ambrose stood at the front, looking at each of them before speaking. "I have called each of you here for a very important reason. During Malistaire's surprise attack, you six performed the most resiliently in protecting the new students, and for that I am incredibly grateful. However, the threat still remains. Malistaire is at large, and who knows what he's planning. I would like you, all of you, to hunt him down before any more damage can be done."

There was relative silence. Vergil seemed eager for this new and serious task, but the others seemed less confident. Devin took a step forward, glaring at Ambrose with flaming pink eyes. "And how the hell are we supposed to do that?"

Ambrose looked at her for a solid few moments before responding. "Strange occurrences have been happening on the streets here in Wizard City. Investigating those will be your start. You will need to work as a team, however, if this quest is to meet success.

He then had each student introduce themselves. Bradley Angleblossom and Marissa Lifeblood were the Life students who had done healing, and coincidentally, Marissa was Devin's Arena rival. She already knew the critical Vergil Darkstar, a fellow Necromancer, and she had a vague familiarity with Pyromancer Molly Hawkflame. Why she was on the team, Devin didn't know. Finally, Chris Roseblood, the Sorcerer. Devin prayed he was more than his looks presented him to be.

Devin retreated to the back as Ambrose spoke again. "This is not an option. You have been chosen, and you cannot back out. Decide amongst yourselves what the best course will be, and may Bartleby and the Grandmother Raven watch over you."


	5. UPDATE

**UPDATE: I know, still no new chapter. I'm so sorry about that, guys. I feel so guilty.**

 **No, I have NOT quit the story. I have simply been very busy and going through some mental/physical health problems. Hopefully everything will be sorted out soon, but I'm not making any promises.**

 **I just wanted to give you guys my reasons as to why no chapter has been released yet. You may have to wait until summer for a new chapter unfortunately.**

 **The point is...I'm not giving up. I love this story too much to give up on it. It's just going to take longer than I hoped.**

 **Hugs and kisses,**

 **Mammering**


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